Which company to use for buying stocks?

[laurinsane]

Hi my name is Lauren and I was going to start putting some money in the S&P 500 and was wondering which is the best place to do that. I've checked out Fidelity and Vanguard and didn't know if there were any others and which were best fee wise.

Thanks.

[eddieb]

Try researching Tradeking @ Online Broker, Options Trading: TradeKing Rated "Best Discount Online Broker" by Smart Money 2 Years in a Row, based on Commissions, Interest Rates, Mutual Funds, Investment Products, Banking Amenities, Trading Tools, Research, and Customer Service.. I recently switched my accounts to them because of fees. They charge $4.95 per trade, no inactivity fees

[AzDreamer]

If you have over $25k in your portfolio WellsTrade gives you 100 free trades a year. If you're just starting out and want to make regular purchases in an index fund then pick a fund company that has low expanses and doesn't charge maintenance fees for small accounts.

[Orchidflower]

On Tuesday's Sharebuilder.com is $4. Check it out.